Ch - 28 Sri Guru Charitra

Advice of Karma Vipak to the Harijan

Shri Guru said, `I will tell you the account of your past life. One gets birth as per one's good or bad actions. If Shudra enjoys with a Brahmin woman he becomes a Chandal. Brahmins and persons of other castes are degenerated if they lead a faulty life.

One who leaves his parents or Guru and goes elsewhere and who forsakes his wife becomes a Chandal. One who adores other deities, leaving one's family god, who speaks a lie, who kills animals, sells his daughter, takes Shudra's food, sells horses, enjoys with Shudra women, sets fire to the forest, separates a cow from its calves, rides on an ox, becomes a Chandal. 

A Brahmin after going to a holy place, does not bathe there and does not observe six Karmas, his first wife being alive, marries with another and forsakes the first, who enjoys with widows, becomes degenerated. Similarly one who breaks tanks and wells, causes split in Brahmins' houses, enjoys with wives of master, Guru or a friend, takes meals in the evening, runs away from the battle field leaving the master, tells Vedas to Shudras, does not observe shraddha, (anniversary of parents etc.) speaks about one's virtues, administers medicines without knowing the pulse, censures Hari and Har also gets birth in a Chandal family. 

One who learns mantras from Shudras, mixes water in cow's milk, becomes a dog. One, who criticizes Vedas, disrespects. Brahmins, suffers from stone in the bladder. One, who causes abortions of women, becomes neutral and even if he has issues they do not survive. 

One who steals gold, suffers from syphilis, he who steals book becomes blind. One who steals at his friend's house, suffers from glands in the neck. A thief of food articles suffers from tumor. One who takes away other's wife, becomes a Brahma Rakshas. One who takes away money offered to god becomes a leper. One who takes away money offered to God becomes a steals cow's milk becomes a leper. 

The bad results of adultery are given in Shantiparva of Mahabharat. One, who embraces other's wife, becomes a dog for 100 lives and then a serpent. One who sees the vagina of other's wife becomes blind. One who enjoys with a friend's wife or maternal aunt, becomes a dog If a Shudra enjoys with a Brahmin woman, both will become worms.' 

Hearing this Trivikram asked, `If one has committed a sin, how can it be wiped off?' 

Shri Guru: `If there is real repentance, the sin is wiped off. Prayashchittas (Puritive acts) are given in `Karma Vipak' as follows. Take Brahmadand. Give cow with ornaments in charity to a Brahmin. If this is not possible give money. If the sin is minor then giving of a gold coin will suffice. If a man and his wife both have committed a sin both should take Prayashchitta or recite `Gayatri' mantra ten thousand times or feed 12 Brahmins. `Gayatri Krichhra' `Prajapati Krichhra' means to take meal once a day or take `madhukari' (food alms taken at Brahmins) and have fasts for 3 days, mild sins are wiped off by this act. 

In `Ati Krichhra' take 15 morsels of food in the morning and 12 in the night or take eight morsels of madhukari food each in the morning and in the night. Take ghee for 3 days and milk for 3 days, live only on air for 3 days and then only milk for 3 days and then take only milk for 21 days. A weak person can observe fast taking ti, gur, parched paddy (Lahi). In `Parna Krichhra' water in which leaves of certain trees are dipped, is to be taken. One should declare one's sin in meeting openly. `Tirth Krichhra' means to go to a holy place, take bath and recite Gayatri mantra for twelve hundred times. All sins are destroyed by doing this. Bath at Setubandh wipes off sin of killing a child in womb. Recitation of a crore of Gayatri mantra wipes off even the sin of a Brahmahatya. 

Pavmansukta, Indra mitra, Shunah shep, Apamadhya, Tadvishnoh, Purushsukta from the Vedas will wipe off sins if recited daily. Taking of Pancha Gavya (mixture of 5 things i.e. Cow's milk, curds, ghee, cow's urine and dung) after repentance, destroys sins committed due to ignorance. 

Brahmahatya, drinking, enjoying with guru's wife, theft of gold and cooperation in these crimes are the five great sins which are destroyed by the favor of Shri Guru'. 

Shri Guru told the Harijan, `You were a Brahmin but you disregarded your parents and therefore, you have become a Chandal. You bathe at the Sangam for a month and your sins will be wiped off'. 

The Harijan said, `A crow becomes a Rajhansa on going to the Manas lake; similarly I have been pure by your sight (Darshan). How can the iron transformed into gold by the touch of paris (Philosopher's stone) be iron again?' Assimilate me now amongst the Brahmins'. 

Shri Guru smiled and said, `You are born in a low caste. How can you be a Brahm

in without change of the present day? In the former times, Vishwamitra was born as Kshatriya; by penance he called himself a `Brahmarishi'. Indra and other gods said, `If our guru Vasishta calls you `Brahmarishi' we shall follow his verdict.' Vasishta did not address Vishwamitra as `Brahmarishi' Vishwamitra was enraged and he killed 100 sons of Vasishta and came to eat the flesh of the corpse. Thus the bhasma touched the dead body of the Brahmin He being a sinner, was being taken by the Yamadoots. But as his body had the marks of bhasma, Shivadoots also came to carry him to Shiva's place. The Shivadoots attacked the Yamadoots, who then left the Brahmin's corpse and complained to Yama, who came to the Shivadoots and angrily asked them. "Why did you take that sinful Brahmin from my men?" The Shivadoots told him, "The body of the Brahmin and marks of bhasma on it and so as per Shiva's orders we are taking him to touch the body, with marks of Bhasma." Being satisfied Yama then went away. 

Brahma Rakshas said, `When I was the king, I had constructed a tank in a forest and had given some land to the Brahmins. So as told by Yama, I had the fortune to see you in this 25th life. Kindly tell me how bhasma is to be applied and liberate me from the cycle of births and deaths.'

Vamdev said, `Shri Shankar had gone to Mandrachal along with his Rudragan. Indra, Brahmadev, Vasishta, Narad, Yaksh, Gandharva and Rishis also had come there to see Shri Shankar. Who was seated on a beautiful throne, having seven backgrounds, all very bright and made of precious stones. He had the Moon on his forehead, locks of hair on his head, Takshak on one ear and Vasuki on the other and wreaths of serpents around this neck. He had trishul in one hand, Damaru (drum) in the second, sword hands, held different weapons. He was sitting with Parvati Devi, who was wearing rich clothes and ornaments. 

Sanatkumar requested Shri Shankar to tell some means by which one could attain all the four Purusharthas. 

Shri Shankar said, 'have tripundra (3 lines) on the forehead and apply bhasma on the body. This will destroy all the sins, such as taking the wealth of others, enjoying with others, wives, cajoling, giving false witness, stealing of cow, land, gold or till, selling milk, flesh, salt and doing adultery etc. and after death one goes to heaven. 

Vamdev gave enchanted Bhasma to the Brahma Rakshas who applied it to his body and had tripundra on his forehead. He was at once transformed into a celestial person and a plane descended to take him to the heaven. 

Though Bhasma has much greatness, the greatness of Shri Guru is still more and so due to the favor of Vamdev the Brahma Rakshas was liberated."